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FAQ
Depression - FAQ
From Parents/Families
Are others in the family at risk for depression?
Depression does appear to have a genetic component. Risk of depression in first degree relatives of a person with depression
is about 2 times as high as someone in the general population.
Is there depression-related research that the family might be interested in?
Please see the section on “Studies and Registries” under Treatment & Management, and also under Resources for good links to
information in research.
My child was diagnosed with depression. How long will he/she need treatment?
Depression is most commonly episodic. Episodes can last from months to years. The majority of episodes will last from 6
months to one year, so the general recommendation for medications is that they be continued for at least one year from symptom
improvement. By analogy, therapy should probably continue at least that long.
Once a depressive episode is resolved, what is the chance it will come back?
Depression is most often recurrent. Up to 70% of adolescents with Major Depression will experience some degree of recurrence
within 5 years.
Are antidepressants safe in children and adolescents? I heard that they could cause suicidal thinking.
In about 4% of children and adolescents participating in studies of antidepressants, some degree of worsening of suicidal
thinking occurred. It is important to note that suicidal thoughts are also a symptom of depression, and these studies were
not designed primarily to assess for this side effect. Even more important to note is that in over 4000 subjects, 0 committed
suicide in these studies. For more detail on this topic, see “Suicide” under Related Issues.
Is it OK to just do psychotherapy for depression?
In some cases of mild to moderate depression, psychotherapy alone may be a reasonable treatment option. This decision should
be made in collaboration with your clinician. Be aware that the positive effects of psychotherapy may take longer to realize
than those of medication.
Authors
| Content Last Updated: |
12/2009 |
